What you need to know
- Bill Gates expressed disagreement with President Trump's decision to stop funding the World Health Organization.
- President Trump decided to halt funding to WHO while reviewing its response to the coronavirus.
- The WHO's director responded to the halt in funding and asked President Trump to not "politicize the virus."
Microsoft founder Bill Gates says that President Donald Trump's decision to withhold funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) is "as dangerous as it sounds." Gates shared his displeasure with President Trump's decision on Twitter earlier this morning, stating that "no other organization can replace them. The World needs WHO now more than ever" (via CNN).
Halting funding for the World Health Organization during a world health crisis is as dangerous as it sounds. Their work is slowing the spread of COVID-19 and if that work is stopped no other organization can replace them. The world needs @WHO now more than ever.Halting funding for the World Health Organization during a world health crisis is as dangerous as it sounds. Their work is slowing the spread of COVID-19 and if that work is stopped no other organization can replace them. The world needs @WHO now more than ever.— Bill Gates (@BillGates) April 15, 2020April 15, 2020
President Trump halted funding to the WHO while a review occurs regarding the organization's response to the coronavirus pandemic. President Trump stated that "Had the WHO done its job to get medical experts into China to objectively assess the situation on the ground and to call out China's lack of transparency, the outbreak could have been contained at its source with very little death."
The WHO responded to President Trump's statement, asking the President to not politicize the virus (via CNN), stating:
If you don't want many more body bags, then you refrain from politicizing it. My short message is: Please quarantine politicizing Covid. The unity of your country will be very important to defeat this dangerous virus.
The WHO also shred a timeline of its actions regarding the coronavirus.
Bill Gates has worked with the WHO to combat the coronavirus. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged up to $100 million to combat the coronavirus. $20 million of that funding is directed towards the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the WHO.
